1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus, an image forming apparatus, a print system control method, and a storage medium.
2. Description of the Related Art
There has been provided a system in which positional information (latitude, longitude) about an image forming apparatus is set to the image forming apparatus and the image forming apparatus informs the positional information via a network so that the client computer can detect a position of the image forming apparatus. In this case, a user needs to set positional information to an image forming apparatus via a UI panel or the like in advance. However, in order for a user to set positional information represented by latitude/longitude data to an image forming apparatus, the user firstly needs to acquire positional information about the image forming apparatus using equipment having a GPS (global positioning system) function. Furthermore, the acquired latitude/longitude information needs to be set to an image forming apparatus in the system of units such as x degree, y min, and z sec. These operations are inconvenient for a user.
On the other hand, in recent years, mobile equipment such as smart phones having a GPS function is becoming commonplace, and thus, it is contemplated that positional information is automatically set by an image forming apparatus itself having a GPS function. However, an image forming apparatus is basically less likely to be moved once the image forming apparatus is installed. Furthermore, in recent years, cost competition for image forming apparatuses has been becoming fierce. Thus, incorporation of a GPS module into an image forming apparatus only for the purpose of setting positional information upon installation of the image forming apparatus is unrealistic.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-244831 discloses a system in which a positional information management server acquires current position from a mobile terminal or a GPS and then reads out a zip code from the acquired current position to thereby search an image forming apparatus registered in a server in advance based on the zip code. In this manner, a user can execute printout from an image forming apparatus in a vicinity of the user via the positional information management server using the GPS function without installing GPS to the image forming apparatus.
However, in the system disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-244831, a positional information management server for managing positional information needs to be newly installed. Thus, a vendor who provides image forming apparatuses needs to prepare and manage a positional information server, resulting in an increase in cost and effort. The precise positional information is hardly obtained by a zip code only.